Paranoid governments and conspiracy theories

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Adi Godrej, who marshals his namesake $2.5 billion diversified group, believes the Indian government is “paranoid” about the possible effects of allowing more foreign investments into sectors such as airlines.

“They (the Indian government) have not allowed foreign airlines to invest in private airlines, and they cite security. I don’t see what security would be compromised,” Godrej told the Reuters India Investment Summit in Mumbai.

“If British Airways or Delta got to own part of an Indian private airline, they are worried about what would happen in times of a war, etc. You are in control of your country. What can they do in difficult times to stop it?” he said.

Godrej also said that allowing more private players into sectors such as roads and education would help lift India away from infrastructure perils plaguing the country.

It’s not hard to think of Indian government officials sitting at their gnarled desks in crumbling office buildings doing what Mel Gibson’s character did in the movie Conspiracy Theory. But as Mel Gibson discovers, the enemy probably lies within. How’s that for a conspiracy?

Security is Indian officialdom’s ‘wolf, wolf!” cry. The truth is about control. This is all that matters o the bureaucracy and the politician. If they lose control they become nothing – no one begging for favours, no nepotism, no bullying, no nothing.

Once Foreign money comes in it will also seek more freedom from the vice like grip of obstructionist rules and laws which have them camping outside government offices pleading exemptions.

Also,the current uncontrolled inflation in food prices, especially vegetables and pulses point to a very synchronised plan by the Government and Retail majors. They are trying to prove a point that FDI in retail is the only way to curb this increase.

Same approach was noticed a decade ago, when the govrnment of Maharashtra started load shedding (electricity supply in spurts) to make the lives of it’s residents miserable, and then paving the way for Enron to set in.